Scars Reopened
by Silver Inferno
Summary: KaiRei. Happens right after Rei's battle with the allstars. after that, everything's around and inside out. Poor Rei gets raped, and Kai's going to grill some when he finds who is responsible. FINISHED!
1. Chapter 1

Rei walked back to the bench, sitting down and fisting his hands on his pants, staring down at the floor in anger. I can't believe I lost. He grit his teeth, his gold eyes burning from trying to hold in the tears in as Tyson started snapping at him.  
  
"Tyson, go easy on him. You didn't do very good either. You-"  
  
"Chief." Rei hissed, closing his eyes. "He's right, Chief. I lost and I deserve the reprimending." The team stared at him in surprise. Tyson ran a hand through his hair.  
  
"Jeez, Rei, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so hard on you."  
  
"Tyson, Rei tryed his best. Don't be trying to correct him when you barely won yourself." Kai said sharply. Tyson merely scuffed his shoe and turned to Max.   
  
"You ready?"  
  
"I don't know." Rei shut himself off from the rest of the competition as he dwelled on his defeat.  
  
Kai watched Rei out of the corner of his eye as Max headed for the match, and caught sight of a tear falling from Rei's cheek. The sight of that crystalline drop had Kai's stomach knotting with sympathy.  
  
Kai was dimly aware of a large commotion after a while, and looked out to the stadium in time to see Max jumping around in excitement, Tyson and Chief swarming him. *The match is over already?* Looking up at the clock, he saw it had already been 20 minutes since it started. Turning to Rei, he was surprised to see the bench beside him was empty. Looking around, Kai managed to catch the end of Rei's hair disappearing through the door.  
  
He got up and was about to follow him when the rest of the team came running over, cheering loudly.  
  
"Yes!! Yes, we won!!" Tyson was yelling. Kai managed to get away and walked out the door Rei went through.   
  
Climbing up the set of stairs, he found himself on the roof, and spotted Rei leaning over the edge of the building. Walking over, he joined Rei, not saying anything for a while.  
  
"I failed the team." Rei said quietly. Kai looked over at him, and when he saw the streaks of tears on Rei's face, wanted to strangle Tyson for saying that. "Tyson started our victory, and I almost destroyed it." Kai closed his eyes, then looked over at Rei.   
  
"If you're going to beat yourself up over one little defeat, then you're not the blader I thought you were." Rei looked over at him in shock. Kai met his gaze, a determind look in his red/brown orbs as he met Rei's surprised gold ones. "Losing one battle is no reason to believe that you're a failure. I lost to Tyson. I hate that fact. I wish everyday that I could go back in time and change it, but I don't let that interfere with my blading. So you lost a battle to the All Stars. I don't see why you're making such a big deal over this. Tyson didn't mean what he said; He was only stressed. This isn't the first time you've lost. And it probably won't be the last. But if you go into any fights worrying about IF you're going to lose, the you ARE going to lose." Rei looked back down at the city below them, letting what Kai had said sink in.   
  
Turning to Kai, he was about to say something when the door flung open and the rest of the team ran out, swarming the two of them.  
  
"Yes!! Yes, we rock!!" Tyson was cheering, hugging Chief and Rei tightly. Max laughed.  
  
"Hey, guys, we should get back downstairs. Mr. Dickinson probably wants to talk to us." He said, managing to pry Tyson off of Chief and Rei. The entire group agreed, and all of them except Rei headed for the staircase. Chief noticed Rei was hanging back from the others.   
  
"Hey Rei. Are you coming?"   
  
"I'll be down in a minute." He called, looking up at the stars. Chief shrugged and followed the others down the stairs.   
  
Around 15 minutes later, when the group was back in their suite at the hotel, Max looked up, glancing around the room.   
  
"Hey guys. Rei hasn't come back yet."   
  
  
  
  
Rei sighed, his hands in his pockets as he walked the streets, taking in the city. Kai's speech kept running through his head, and he sighed again. He still couldn't shake the fact that he could have done a lot better, and was feeling bad about it.   
  
Deciding he had spent enough time away from the team, he turned to head back to the hotel. He was half way there when he was suddenly grabbed from behind, and thrown roughly into a concrete wall. He yelped in pain as he heard a sickening crack when he skull collided with a solid wall.  
  
"What are you-" He was cut off by the form pinning him against the building.   
  
"I saw your defeat on tv, Rei. You going to run from this team too?" The form hissed. Rei stiffened in shock as he realized who held him in place.  
  
"What....you're.."  
  
  
  
  
Kai drummed his fingers, sighing as he watched Max and Tyson wrestling on the couch. Where the hell is Rei?? It's not like him to just take off for an hour without telling us.  
  
"Guys, we should be out looking for Rei." He snapped to the 4 of them.  
  
"Kai." Tyson said in a 'don't start this again' tone. "Rei probably just wants some time to himself. He'll come back on his own. Relax." Kai growled and folded his arms, sitting down. "Oh, my god. He actually listened to me." Kai rolled his eyes, deciding not to respond.  
  
  
  
Rei winced as he tried to sit up. Every part of his body ached when he moved. He was thanking every god he knew the name of for the fact that his attacker had finally left. Managing to drag himself to his hands and knees, he spit out a mouthful of blood, trying to take in a full breath.   
  
Jumping as he heard footsteps, he looked up to see someone coming towards him and cringed. No, not again.  
  
"Hey. Are you alright?" Rei tried to answer, but a wave of pain stopped him from responded and he collapsed where he was.  
  
  
  
"Where is he?" Tyson wondered. "It's been over two hours." Kai sighed and turned to Chief.   
  
"You said he told you he was only going to be a few minutes."   
  
"Well, yeah, but....." He stopped as the phone rang and watched Max answer it.   
  
"Hello?.........Yes, this is where the Bladebreakers are staying...........What?" Max's face paled suddenly. "Are you sure?.........Do you know who..........Is he alright?..........We'll be right over." He hung the phone up and turned to the others, a grim look on his face.  
  
"What is it, Max?"  
  
"Rei's in the hospitol."  
  
"WHAT?!" The entire group yelled. Max nodded.  
  
"Yeah, some stranger said he found him in the park in town and dropped him off." Max turned to Kai. "He's been raped."  
  
Kai felt the room tilt and stumbled to catch his balance.   
  
"Wh-What?"  
  
"He's in intensive care right now." Kai felt rage fill him and turned, heading for the door.   
  
"KAI!!! Wait for us!!" Kai heard Tyson yell, but ignored it. He needed to find Rei, and was not going to wait for the rookie to catch up. Quickly getting outside, he took off, running the entire 20 blocks to the hospital, not tiring until he reached the building, then doubled over, holding his side. Catching his breath, he walked in, breezing past several nurses and ignoring their demands to tell them who he was. Kai scoured the intensive care wing until he found Rei. He walked over slowly, staring down at the black haired boy that had ensnared his heart since he first joined the team.  
  
"Is he going to be alright?" He asked, his voice hoarse from running so far. A nearby nurse sighed.   
  
"It's too hard to tell right now. We'll know when he wakes up. The man who found him said he'd been in the eastern part of town, around ten miles from the beystadium. Who are you?"  
  
"One of his team members." Was all Kai said. The nurse nodded.  
  
"All right. Come get someone if he wakes up." She then left. Kai stared down at the boy. Rei's proud face held alot of brusies and cuts, and his chest was wrapped thickly with bandages. He had a bandage wrapped around his upper torso, wrists, and his left shoulder. He was hooked up to a life support system by his arm, and he had a respirator over his mouth to help him breath, since he seemed to have trouble. His hair was a mess, and blood was caked on it. His breath was shallow, and all in all, he was a terrifying sight.  
  
He didn't react as the others came in. Nobody said anything for the longest time, then Chief sat down in a chair and said what everybody was thinking.  
  
"Oh my god.......Rei......."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Silver Inferno: Hey, sorry this was so short. I promise that the next chapters will be much longer. Because it's a long weekend, i'll probably get the next chapter out quickly, but don't always expect them to always come out quickly, what with high school and babysitting and all, it's hard for me to find a spare moment to type these. 


	2. Chapter 2

Kai sat in a chair beside Rei's bed, going over the clipboard that had been at the end of Rei's bed. Tyson was pacing, waiting for a call from Mr. Dickenson, and Max and Chief were off getting some food for the team.   
  
A voice called Tyson over to the waiting room for a phone call, and he left instantly. Kai was left alone with Rei.   
  
Kai read over the list of injuries again. 4 broken ribs, concussion, broken wrist, signs of rape, bruising on back, left shoulder and abdomen, blood loss. My god.  
  
After a moment, he turned to the still boy beside him. Hesitantly, Kai reached out and brushed some of his hair out of his eyes, his own softening as Rei whimpered slightly in his sleep. Kai gently touched Rei's bandaged chest, checking to see if blood was seeping through. He felt Rei jump under his touch, and pulled away, looking up at Rei's face.   
  
He had a distressed look on his face, and he was whimpering in his sleep.   
  
"No.....please.....stop it....." He pleaded, weakly trying to struggle in his sleep. "....Please....leave me alone!...." He cried weakly. He must be having a nightmare. Kai realized. He gently shook him, trying not to hurt him further.  
  
"Rei? Rei, wake up. You're having a nightmare." Kai said quietly as he tried to wake him. He whimpered again, and a tear slipped from his closed eye. Kai's heart caved at the sight, and he gently wiped the tear off. "Rei, please. Wake up." Rei's hand flung up and knocked Kai's away; the young boy jolted awake, looking around wildly. Kai stepped back, waiting for the boy to catch his bearings.   
  
After a moment, Rei looked up at him, confusion clouding over the fear in his eyes.  
  
"K-Kai?" Kai stepped forward again.  
  
"Rei? You alright?" Rei's gold irises danced over Kai's face, studying it, then welled up with tears, his lip trembled, and he lunged forward, clinging to Kai as if he were a lifeline, ignoring the pain lancing through him at the abrupt movement.   
  
"Oh, Kai I was so scared. I was never so scared in my life." Kai stood there for what felt like a mellenium, then slowly placed his arms around Rei. The small movement seemed to be a trigger, as the moment Kai layed his arms around Rei, the boy broke down into a fit of sobs. Kai tightened his hold on him, drawing Rei closer and leaning his cheek against Rei's silky hair. "Kai...you're not going to leave me, are you? You won't leave me alone?"  
  
"No, I won't leave, Rei. Not if you don't want me to." Rei leaned into Kai's chest, trembling.  
  
"He...He's not right, is he?" Kai heard Rei whisper.  
  
"What? Who's not right about what?" Rei sniffed.  
  
"He...he said that...that I wasn't good enough to be on the Bladebreakers....and...and that I was a terrible blader since I was beaten by a lab rat." Kai's eyes widened in anger as he heard this. "It's not true, is it?"  
  
"Who said that, Rei? Of course it isn't true. Who told you that? Was it the person who did this?" Rei buried his face further into Kai's shirt, gripping it in his fists.  
  
"Y-yes."  
  
"Who was it?"  
  
"I-It was Le-Lee." Kai stared at the wall in front of him in shock, holding Rei possessivly as Rei broke down again. I can't believe Lee would do this. And after they declared themselves friends in the Asian tournament, too.  
  
"Easy, Rei. It's alright. Nothing else is going to happen to you. I promise." Kai ran his hand through Rei's hair. Hearing someone clear their throat, he glanced over his shoulder to see the rest of the team standing at the door and fought down the blush that started to rise over his face. He felt Rei go limp and pulled away to see that Rei had fallen asleep. Laying him back down, he stood and turned to the others. Before Kai could say anything, Tyson smirked.  
  
"Aww, Kai. You two look so cute together!! I just knew you had-Hey!!" He was cut off by Kai grabbing him by the collar of his shirt.  
  
"I suggest you stop now while you still have a tongue to talk with." He hissed darkly. Tyson swallowed hard and nodded. Kai shoved him away, a glare on his face. Tyson rubbed his neck, shaking his head.  
  
"Dickenson said he's on his way. He wants to talk to us in the waiting room. He should be here in around 15 minutes." Tyson muttered.  
  
"Kai? When Rei woke up, did he say who did this to him?" Kai nodded, sitting down beside Rei.  
  
"Yeah. Lee did it." A gasp ran through the group.  
  
"What?! Lee!? That JERK!!" Tyson snapped.  
  
"Why would Lee do this? I thought they were friends!"   
  
"Yeah, Rei thought that too." Kai muttered. "According to Rei, Lee told him that he wasn't good enough to be on the Bladebreakers and that he was a terrible blader since he was beaten by a lab rat." A growl surfaced from the owner of Dragoon.  
  
"Why that no good, rotten..." He trailed off as someone called the team to the waiting room. "Mr. Dickenson must be here." Kai merely picked up a book and started reading. "Kai aren't you coming?"  
  
"I want to talk with Rei's doctor." He answered. Voicing their understanding, the small group headed for the waiting room, and Kai turned to once again study Rei. *I'm not surprised he fell asleep so quickly. He's probably exhausted.* Rei shifted in his sleep, his fist gripping the sheet tightly until he was comfortable again. Kai sighed, a hand resting on the mattress. *Lee had damn well better be in China by now. Because if he crosses my path, he'll be lucky if he can lift a single finger without pain when I'm finished. He will not get away with hurting Rei like this.* Glancing down at Rei from where his gaze had drifted to the window, he was surprised to see Rei had ahold of his hand and was leaning his cheek against it.   
  
A small blush rose over Kai's face and he tried to pull his hand away. He ceased when Rei panicked slightly and tightened his grip. Sighing, he looked back out the window, watching the small flakes drift to the ground. [1]  
  
Hearing the door open, he turned to see a female doctor walk in, holding a black clipboard to her chest.  
  
"How is he? Has he woken up yet?"  
  
"Yes, he has."   
  
"Oh, good." She lifted a few sheets off her clipboard and started writing something.  
  
"So how long should he have to stay in here?"  
  
"Well, we'll need to examine him again now that he's conscious, and I'd like him to stay until he's pretty much healed. That would probably be around, I'd say 4 weeks."  
  
"What?! But, the Russian Tournament's in TWO weeks!"  
  
"What team are you guys on?" Kai looked down at the boy still gripping his hand.  
  
"The Bladebreakers." He muttered..  
  
"Really? I've been watching you guys, you've been doing well." She paused. "I saw Rei's battle. Is that what started this?" Kai nodded.  
  
"He was upset, so he went on a walk or something alone. Around two hours later, we get a call from you guys saying he's being held here." The nurse sighed.  
  
"Do you know who did this?"  
  
"Yeah." Kai ran his free hand through Rei's hair. "Lee, from Rei's old team, the Whitetigers." He heard the doctor gasp in surprise. "He's been trying to get Rei to rejoin them, and probably saw this as a good chance to get some revenge." Kai was surprised. He was never so open with anyone.  
  
The doctor gently took Rei's medical chart off Kai's lap and read through it.   
  
"He's going to need some blood donated." She muttered to herself. "Hmm, he's A+...." That's my blood type.  
  
"How much does he need?"  
  
"Around 3 pints. Why? Are you willing to give him some?" Kai nodded. For some reason, this surprised the doctor. "Really?" Kai frowned.  
  
"Yes. I refuse to abandon one of my team members." Especially this one.   
  
"Alright."   
  
  
When the rest of the Bladebreakers and Mr. Dickenson came back in, they were surprised to see Kai sitting beside Rei, a thin tube running from his wrist to Rei's.  
  
"Kai?" Kai looked up, a tired look in his eyes. "What..what are you.."  
  
"Rei needed blood." He muttered, leaning back against the wall, his eyes closing. Mr. Dickenson watched with pride as the nurse came over and started to unhook Kai, him having finished his donantion. I knew that boy cared about this team more then he let on.  
  
Kai stood, then stumbled, slightly disoriented from the transfusion. Tyson rushed forward and steadied him, throwing his arm over his shoulder. Kai was too worn to care.   
  
"Make sure he eats food that has alot of sugar in it so he can restore the sugar in his blood." A nurse informed Mr. Dickenson. Kai grabbed the nurse by the sleeve as they past her.   
  
"If he wakes up before I get back, tell him I only went to the hotel and will be back tomorrow." She nodded, smiling at the team as they let. What a group.  
  
Kai was practically dragged through the door of their suite. He walked over to a bed and fell down onto it, completely worn out. He had barely managed to pull himself under the blankets, and fell asleep a few minutes after he had layed down. First thing tomorrow, I'm going to check on Rei, then I'm scouring the city for that jerk.  
  
  
  
  
[1]-I can't really remember if it was winter then or not, so I'm making it winter. *grins sheepishly* I hate winter, but I love how pretty it looks. Plus, I have a cute scene planned out for it later on.  
  
Oh, and One little thing for all those Lee fans, DON"T HURT ME!!! I actually like Lee. He's my favorite on on the Whitetigers. (I don't consider Rei part of the Whitetigers anymore) It just seemed to fit the plot. I'm sorry if i've upset anyone!!! 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Alright. I've used the lyrics from one of my favorite songs in this story. It's "Return To Innocence" by Enigma. So as a disclaimer: I don't own Enigma!! If I did, I wouldn't be sitting here on my comp in the middle of no where typing this story. I'd be in a big manison, with over a hundred rooms, sitting on the big fluffy bed in my room.....with a lap top in my lap writing this story. *blushes* So I would still be writing, so what?!   
If you ever get a chance, listen to this song. if you've already heard return to innocence by enigma, well, listen to it again!! it's a beautiful song.  
  
  
  
  
  
Rei sighed as he stared down at Drigger. 4 weeks....So much for the Russian tournament.... He'd been awake for half an hour, and quickly gotten bored. He was upset that he had to miss the tournament. He'd wanted to go so he could make up for his failure in theAmerican tournament. He also missed the team; right now they usually were giving Tyson the Hymlich manuver to get out the lodged piece of food he had in his throat from eating too fast. A small smile crept across his face at the thought.  
  
Hearing a knock on his door, he looked over to see the team leaning in the door.  
  
"Hey guys." He called. They smiled and walked in. Tyson ran over to his side.  
  
"Hey, Rei. How are you feeling?"  
  
"I've been better." Rei responded, wincing slightly as he sat up. He noticed Kai was hanging back a ways, and wished Kai would come over and talk to him. But knowing that he wouldn't do something like that in front of the team, he resumed talking to the others.  
  
"So, Rei, you want us to go beat up Lee for you?" Tyson asked, growing serious. Rei blinked in surprise, then swallowed hard and looked down at his wrist, shaking his head.  
  
  
  
Kai growled silently at this, then stepped forward.  
  
"Max, Kenny, go show Tyson where the cafeteria is." He ordered. Chief was about to object, but Max stopped him and gave him a knowing look. Catching on quickly, Chief nodded and the two of them grabbed hold of Tyson's arms, hauling him out of the room.  
  
"What? What did I do?" Shaking his head at Tyson's naïveness, Kai turned to Rei, who was staring out the window. Blowing out a breath, he walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of the bed, looking out the window as well.   
  
"What are you thinking about?" Rei sighed, then turned to Kai.  
  
"What am I going to do? The Russian tournament is in two weeks, and this stupid hospital isn't going to let me out anytime soon, especially to travel all the way to Europe. I've-" He stopped when Kai shook his head.  
  
"Don't you dare say that you've let the team down again. This isn't your fault." Kai lifted his chin slightly, studying the bruises and cuts, gently running his thumb over one of the larger bandages. He ignored the sound of the door opening; Rei's eyes flicked over to land on a surprised nurse.  
  
"I-I'm glad to see you're awake, Rei." She said, watching Kai examine the injuries on Rei's face.  
  
"Will these leave scars?" Kai asked her.  
  
"No, they shouldn't. Most of them are quite shallow. They shouldn't leave any marks." She walked over to a desk and set her clipboard down, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a few items. Rei watched as she pulled out a bottle of some clear liquid, and his eyes widened as she pulled the cap off a needle, starting to fill it. Kai noticed his expression, and glanced behind him. He heard Rei's breathing quicken as she placed the bottle back in her pocket and tapped the thin vile.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
"Don't worry, Rei." He hissed to the struggling boy beneath him, checking to make sure there were no air bubbles in the needle, a cruel grin on his face. "This is just to make sure you don't hurt yourself by fighting me." Rei hissed in pain, begging Lee to stop as he pushed the thin metal into Rei's arm. A sharp pain lanced through Rei, making him dizzy.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The vivid memory caused Rei to start shaking in fear.  
  
Kai quickly noticed this and turned Rei's gaze back onto his face.  
  
"Relax, Rei. It's just a pain killer. I wouldn't let them use anything on you that would cause you any pain." His comforting had no effect.  
  
"No." Rei whispered, shaking his head.. "No needles. Please, no needles." Kai sighed and turned to the nurse, who had just finished, and was waiting for him to move out of the way. Getting up, he took ahold of her arm and led her over to the door.  
  
"Do you have any way of giving him some pain killers without using the needle?"   
  
"Well, we could give him some some pills, but they're not as strong-"  
  
"That will do. He's not in a lot of physical pain, so we won't NEED to give him anything too strong."   
  
"My instructions were to give him 5 millimeters of that pain killer, and-"  
  
"And you will. In PILL form."  
  
"Sir, I don't think you understand-"  
  
"No, you don't understand." Kai hissed, getting annoyed. "My team member has had a terrifying experiance, and at the moment, a needle is the worst thing to give him right now. I will not allow you to terrorize him further, so if you have a problem with not giving him that needle, then you go get your boss, and I'll have a little talk with him." The nurse stood there for a few seconds, trying to think of something to say, then gave up and left.   
  
Shaking his head, Kai walked back over to Rei. "Rei, you okay?" Rei looked up at him, his gold eyes full of unshed tears.   
  
"Kai, I just want to go home. I don't want to stay here. Please don't make me stay here anymore." Rei sobbed, burying his head into his hands, finally having enough. "I just want to go back home. Please?" Kai pulled him flush against his chest, holding him gently. His heart was breaking to hear someone as strong as Rei this terrified.   
  
"I'm sorry, Rei. I'd take you home if I could, but you need to stay here for a little longer."  
  
"How much longer?"   
  
"A few more weeks." Rei winced as his body finally couldn't put up with the physical strain he was putting it through, but he didn't pull away from Kai.  
  
Rei buried his face into the crook of Kai's neck, sniffing. God, he smells good. Rei couldn't help but think. He didn't move, trying desparately to hold on to the one comfort he could find.   
  
  
  
Kai felt a shiver run through him at the feel of Rei's lips pressed just barely against his throat. He ached for more, craving to feel those same lips against his own. However, he didn't do anything except run his hand over Rei's hair, trying to soothe the distraught boy. What the hell am I doing? He was confused at his actions, but didn't cease, as they finally calmed Rei down. He started to pull away, but froze. Why not? No one else is here. Smiling weakly, he gently sat on the bed beside Rei and pulled the shaking boy into his arms again.  
  
  
  
Rei was surprised at the display of compassion Kai had just shown. He closed his eyes, taking in a shuddering breath as he tried to hold back another torrent of tears.  
  
  
  
Kai sensed this and gently rubbed Rei's back. When this didn't work, he got a different idea. Fighting down a blush, Kai shifted so his mouth was right beside Rei's ear, and gently started to hum a song he heard a few years ago.  
  
  
Love  
Devotion  
Feeling  
Emotion  
  
Don't be afraid to be weak  
Don't be too proud to be strong  
Just look into your heart, my friend  
That will be the return to yourself  
The return to innocence  
  
If you want, then start to laugh  
If you must, then start to cry  
Be yourself, don't hate,   
Just believe in destiny  
  
Don't care what people say  
Just follow your own way  
Don't give up and lose the chance  
To return to innocence  
  
That's not the beginning of the end,  
That's the return to yourself,  
The return to innocence  
  
  
It wasn't until he'd finished that he realized he had been saying the words as well. Rei was still, and Kai thought he had fallen asleep again, but then Rei spoke in a quiet voice,  
  
"Kai?"  
  
"Yes, Rei?"  
  
"Where did you hear that song?"  
  
"I, I'm not sure. I heard it a few years ago, but I can't remember where from."  
  
"It's a nice song." Rei muttered, leaning his cheek against Kai's smooth chest. His fingers curled into the silky material of Kai's shirt and he sniffed again. "Could...could you say it again?"  
  
"What?" Rei slowly looked up at him.  
  
"I, I like the sound of it, and, and I feel like I can relate to it at the moment. So could you say it again? Please?" Kai blushed at the thought of singing to Rei, but he consented and started over again.   
  
  
Rei smiled weakly as Kai began and closed his eyes, slowly drifting into a light sleep.  
  
  
Eventually, Kai realized Rei had fallen asleep and layed him down on the bed, pulled the blanket over him, and headed for the cafeteria.  
  
He found Max and Chief watching Tyson shovel food into his mouth.  
  
"Hey Kai. How's Rei?"  
  
"He's asleep. We'll come back tomorrow."  
  
"Tomo'ow? Why do we hafta wai' un'il tomo'ow?" Tyson asked through a mouthful of food.  
  
"Because." Kai hissed through grit teeth. "What you said to him got him so upset he exhausted himself and he needs to rest." Tyson instantly looked down at his plate, guilt clouding his dark blue eyes. Kai sighed, running a hand through his hair and turned to the door. "Come on. Let's get back to the hotel. We need to tell Dickenson Rei won't make it to the tournament." The three got up, and the small group left the building.  
  
  
A few hours later, Rei woke up, yawning. He started to stretch, then stopped as it hurt too much. Pressing a hand to his waist, he sighed in dispair as he remembered where he was. Rubbing his eyes, he glanced out the window, and blinked in surprise. The other Bladebreakers were outside playing in the snow.   
  
  
Chief was fashioning a beyblade out of snow, Max and Tyson were having a snowball fight, and Kai was leaning against a tree, deep in thought. Then, a snowball came flying out of nowhere and hit Kai in the face. He stumbled back slightly, shaking his head, then looked over at Max and Tyson, glaring. Tyson and Max had frozen, staring at Kai with wide eyes. To everyone's shock, he bent down, grabbed some snow, shaped it into a ball, and whipped it back. He hit Tyson right in the face, knocking him back against Max. Kai then turned away and started to walk towards the hospital when another ball hit him in the back of the head. Turning, he stared at Tyson in shock, who was tossing a snowball in his hand.  
  
"If you think you're getting away from me that easily, you're wrong." He said, a smirk on his face. "Come on Kai. Stick around. We know you're a good aim when it comes to beyblading. Let's see how good you are at snowball fights." Kai smirked and bent down, grabbing some snow. He straightened, a confident look on his face.   
  
"You asked for it."  
  
  
Rei watched in facination as an all out war started between Kai and Tyson. Shaking his head, he layed back down, smiling, then looked over at the door as it opened and a nurse came in.  
  
  
Kai looked around the tree, then pulled back just as a snowball flew by. Balling the crystals in his hands, he leaned around and threw it at Tyson, cursing when he missed. Pulling back, he glanced around, then grabbed ahold of a branch and pulled himself up into the tree, hooking his legs around a branch and grabbing a large handful of snow off a branch.   
  
He watched Tyson sneak up to the tree, then glance around it and scratch his head in confusion when he saw Kai wasn't there anymore. Kai smirked, then snapped a branch to get his attention. Just as the boy looked up, Kai dropped the huge ball right in his face.  
  
  
Tyson fell back onto his butt, then looked up at Kai as he swung down to hang upside down from the branch. "Give up?" Tyson sighed and hung his head, nodding.  
  
"Alright, you win." Kai slid down from the tree, grinning triumphiantly. Glancing at his watch, he looked at the others.  
  
"We should check on Rei now."  
  
Kai walked into Rei's room, then froze. A nurse was standing over Rei, injecting a needle into his arm, and Rei was shaking badly, staring up at the celing. "What do you think you're doing?!" He yelled, storming over to the nurse and wrenching her away from the trembling boy.  
  
"He was in pain. We're just helping him. He needed some pain killers-" Kai fisted his hands in his hair.   
  
"Just how thick do you nurses come?! Look at him!! He's been raped, and while being raped, had a needle shoved into him. Anytime you give him a needle, you remind him of the one Lee gave him!!" He took a deep breath, trying to calm down, then turned to Rei. "Rei? Rei, talk to me."  
  
"Kai?" Rei's pupils had been reduced to nothing but a gold dot. He's that upset? A weak smile came over him as he gripped Kai's hand. "W-who won the snowball fight?"  
  
"I did." Kai said, holding Rei's trembling hand. "Calm down, Rei. You're going to make youself faint."   
  
"Alright, sir. You are overstepping your boundaries. You have no right to-"  
  
"Max." Kai growled, closing his eyes. "I suggest you get her out of this room before I really lose my temper."  
  
"He's just upset, ma'am, please forgive him. Come on, you'll need to leave him alone for a few minutes. We understand you were just doing your job." Max said as he led her out of the room and shut the door. Glancing over at the bed, Max saw Kai had leaned his forhead against the side of the bed, shaking it slightly as he still held Rei's hand.   
  
"I should never have left. I should have stayed right beside you. She never would have done this if I hadn't...." Chief walked over to where the empty needle and the bottle were sitting.  
  
"Kai, that nurse gave him a sedative." Kai shook with anger, leaning his elbows against the bed and holding hs forhead in his hands. This is getting old. He thought, sighing. He was sick of nurses terrorizing Rei, sick of Rei being in this hospital, and sick of Rei having to go through all this.   
  
"Guys." Kai said. The group turned to him.  
  
"Yeah, Kai?"  
  
"Can I have some time to myself?" The other boys glanced around at each other, then turned and left the room. Kai didn't change position all day, ignoring everybody and everything until he finally slid down onto the bed, falling asleep.   
  
Sometime around 5:00, the group came back and found Kai still asleep.  
  
"Should we wake him up?" Tyson asked quietly, eyeing their leader as if he expected him to wake up and yell at him.  
  
"No." Max stepped forward, grabbing a blanket from a chair and pulling it over the young boy. "Let's leave him alone. We leave for the tournament in two days. I have a feeling Kai is finally coming to terms with his feelings."   
  
"What? What do you mean, "coming to terms"? Guys! What's going on, what are you not telling me? What do you know that I don't?" Tyson asked as they left the hospital.  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Okay, I'm in a real bad mood right now. If you've been following beyblade, then you know why. I can't believe Kai would DO THAT!! why did he leave the bladebreakers for the demolition boys, and WHY is he stealing bitbeasts?!?! he already has all the all stars and white tiger bitbeasts!! *crosses arms, looking ticked* i am SO MAD!!!!!!!!! 


	4. Chapter 4

Kai felt warmth on his face and lifted his head up to see it was morning and the sun was shining through the window. He looked to his left to see Rei was still asleep and sat up. Reaching out a hand, he was about to run a hand through Rei's hair when he stopped, pulling his hand back. He'd just realized how soft he'd gotten towards this boy and didn't like it at all.   
  
Standing up, he walked over to a chair and grabbed his scarf from where he'd thrown it last night. Kai twisted the material through his hands for a few seconds, then tied it on and left, not looking back.  
  
Rei woke up with a start, looking around disorderly, then shook his head and sat up when he realized he was alone. Where's Kai? He rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock on a nearby table. It's 11 already?  
  
A nurse came in then.   
  
"Oh, I'm glad you're awake. You ready to start practicing with your crutches today?"  
  
"Crutches?"  
  
"Just to help keep your balance until your back is a hundred percent. It was injured when you were slammed up against the wall."   
  
"Oh." Rei cringed at the memory, then smiled at the nurse. "Yeah, I'd like to try."  
  
Kai strode into the hotel they were staying in, walking into the room he, Tyson and Rei were sharing. He stopped at the desk, grabbing Dranzer. Kai paused when he spotted a photo of the group after they'd won the Asian tournament: Tyson had his arms around Max and Chief, and Rei was hugging Kai around the waist, which had Kai blushing majorly.   
  
He stared at the photo for a moment, then layed it faced down on the desk and turned to the door. Tyson was standing in the doorway.  
  
"Kai! How's Rei?"  
  
"How should I know? I'm not his mother." Tyson was obviously surprised at the bitterness in Kai's voice.  
  
"But Kai..." He trailed off as Kai walked past him. Grabbing his hat off the dresser, Tyson quickly followed Kai out into the hallway. "Wait one damn minute, Kai!" Said boy turned, surprise in his mahogany eyes. "Yesterday, we couldn't PAY you to leave the hospital. Now, you're acting like you never want to go back there again!"  
  
"That's because I don't."  
  
"But Kai, what about Rei?"  
  
"What about him?! Rei can take care of himself!! Or at least he should be able to! He should be ashamed of himself, allowing that beyblading wannabe to rape him and use him for a punching bag!"  
  
~*!!CRACK!!*~  
  
Kai heard the punch to his jaw as much as he felt it. He held the aching spot, staring up at the boy in front of him from where he'd fallen to the ground, his eyes showing the shock he was feeling. Tyson was fuming; his eyes were burning with a stronger anger then ever, and his fists were clenched tight enough that his knuckles were turning white.  
  
"Don't you EVER talk about ANY of my friends like that. I don't know what's going on, but if you ever say anything even remotely close to that again, you will be off this team faster then you can launch Dranzer." Kai wiped the blood off his chin and shakily got to his feet. He chose not to respond to Tyson and turned, walking away. "Where are you going?!"  
  
"To train. I've missed 3 days worth already. I can't afford to miss any more."  
  
"Kai! Get back here! KAI!!" Tyson yelled at the boy's retreating back, but got no response. He growled in frustration, then turned as Max and Kenny stepped out of their room.   
  
"Tyson? We heard shouting. What's going on?" Tyson sighed, then turned to his teammates and started to explain.  
  
Rei stood in front of a large window, leaning on his crutches. He'd adapted to them easily, and could move rather swiftly on them. The long haired boy stared down at the street, watching a group of boys beyblading. He sighed as they boys continued to play, and turned away from the window. Moving over to the desk beside his bed, he picked up Drigger.  
  
"Well, we may not be able to enter the European Tournament, but we will blade eventually, my friend." He smiled down at the beyblade, then froze, frowning. Something was wrong.... When he realized what, his heart stopped. "No, Drigger!!" The bitbeast was gone from his blade. "But, how....where..." His blood froze in his veins as he realized what had happened. "Lee....." Tears welled up in his topaz eyes and he closed them, trying desparetely to hold in the painful crystalline drops. "How could you......"  
  
Lee stared down at the small beyblade piece in his hand, the emblem of Drigger flashing up at him. He sighed happily, a smirk on his face.  
  
"Hmm. I've gotten both things that I want now." His grin increased as he recalled the night he caught Rei alone in the park. It reminded him of the way things were between Rei and him back when they were on the same team. "But I'm still not satisfied." He placed the bit beast in his pocket, and headed back to the hotel he and his team was staying at, trying to figure out a way to have Rei permanently.   
  
Tyson, Max and Chief made their way through the hospital until they reached Rei's room. They walked in to see Rei leaning on one crutch, the other one resting against the window he was staring out of, his forhead pressed against the cool grass.  
  
"Rei! You're walking around! That's great!" Max walked over and placed a hand on Rei's shoulder. "Soon, you'll be able to leave this place." To Max's surprise, the shoulder was trembling terribly. "Rei? What's the matter?" Rei didn't say anything; Instead, he held up his blade. "What's wrong with-oh no! Drigger!" Max turned to the others. "He's gone! Drigger's gone!"   
  
Rei closed his eyes, holding in the forming tears. "Rei!! What happened to him?"  
  
"L-lee has stolen him." Rei managed to say, his voice hoarse.  
  
"Oh, Rei, I'm so sorry." Max said quietly, placing a hand on Rei's shoulder. Rei grabbed hold of his other crutch, and moved over to his bed, wincing slightly as he sat down on the bed, then layed down on his side, his back to the others.   
  
"Come on, guys." Tyson said quietly. "We should leave him alone for a while."  
  
Kai pulled the rip cord for his Dranzer, but at the last second, an image of Rei laying there on the bed, holding Kai's hand flashed across his mind, and he missed his target completely, the beyblade flying across the ground to come to a stop a few feet away. Kai growled.  
  
"Damn it. I can't get him off my mind. Why can't I concentrate on my blade like usual?!" He cursed again and swung around, punching the wall in frustration, leaving a dent in the side of the building. The young man slid down to his knees after a moment, grasping his blade and staring down at it. The emblem of Dranzer flashed up at him, as if accusing him for abandoning Rei. Kai closed his eyes. "I had to. I can't get attached to him. He'll only distract me from my blading, and that's the most important thing to me."   
  
~Are you sure about that? Or are you just scared that something has taken the place of blading in your heart? That you actually care about someone besides yourself?~ A voice in his head said to him. Kai closed his eyes, gritting his teeth.   
  
"It's true. I do care for someone more then I care about blading. It's true..." Kai opened his eyes in realization. "It's true. I'm in love with someone. I've fallen in love with Rei." He blinked, then sat up, looking around. "I can't believe I did that to Rei." He stood, his blade tightly clasped in his hand. But before he could go anywhere, he heard Tyson yelling his name. Sighing, he turned to the boy. "Look, if you're looking for another chance to hit me, you'll have to catch me at another time."  
  
"Kai, just listen, this is important, damnit!" The navy haired boy slid to a stop beside Kai, bending over and panting. "It's.....about.....Rei." Kai's heart leapt up into his throat. "I doubt you care, but I'm going to tell you anyway. Drigger's been stolen by Lee." Kai's fists tightened and he turned to leave. "Kai! Where are you going?!"  
  
"To beat Lee into a pulp so small you couldn't pick him up with tweezers." He hissed, disappearing behind some trees. Tyson scratched his head in confusion.  
  
"Alright....I'm confused...." He shook his head and ran back to the hospital. 


	5. Chapter 5

Lee kicked at some loose pebbles on the street as he strolled down it, still brooding on his anger. I can't believe they think they can kick me off the team. I'm the leader!! I can do whatever I want. He sighed as he remembered what happened earlier between him and his other teammates.  
  
********  
  
Lee glared at his fellow teammates, upset that they didn't see it his way.  
  
"Rei deserved it." He snapped at Mariah. If she'd had a tail, it would have bristled in anger.  
  
"How dare you, Lee! No one deserves that, and you had no right at all to do that to him!" She yelled back, then, before anyone could stop her, slapped Lee across the face. Lee gripped his cheek, staring at Mariah in shock, then growled and started towards her, intending to return the favor. However, he stopped when Gary and Kevin stepped forward.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?!" Lee demanded.   
  
"Back off, Lee." Gary growled.  
  
"I am your damn leader!! You can't boss me around!"  
  
"No, Lee." Mariah said angrily. "You are no leader. A true leader wouldn't have sunk as low as you have. How could you do that to Rei?! You're a spoiled child, and a rotten person!"  
  
********  
  
Lee walked around the city of Tokyo, pausing as he looked up at the hospital. So....my feet have taken me to Rei..... He smirked and was about to step inside when he heard someone calling his name.   
  
Lee turned in time to see a fist come flying at him and connected smoothly with his jaw, slamming him back against the hospital wall.  
  
"What the hell......Kai, how nice to meet-" He was cut off by Kai grabbing the boy by the throat and driving him even harder against the building.  
  
"What the fuck are you doing here!?!" Kai hissed, absolute infuriation burning in his eyes. Lee smirked as well as possible, considering he was having trouble breathing.  
  
"What? I'm not allowed to visit my old teammate?"  
  
"Not after the hell you put him through, you're not." Kai growled, tightening his hold on Lee's throat.  
  
"And what right do you have to tell me whether or not I can see him? It's not like you're his boyfriend or anything." Kai's eyes twitched at this comment, then closed and he backed away, letting go of Lee. "That's bett-" Kai's eyes flashed open, and he punched Lee again, twice as hard this time, breaking his nose and sending him stumbling into the dirt. The bluenet strode over to the cursing teen, and kicked him in the side, flipping him over onto his back, then bending down and grabbing the collar of his shirt, hauling him back to his feet.  
  
"Give me Drigger, then get your lousy ass away from this hospital, and never even think for a second about returning."  
  
"What makes you think I'm just going to hand over the bitbeast that rightfully belongs to me? And who are you to decide who gets to see Rei? It's not up to you who Rei hangs out with. He can decide for himself. Besides, he and I go back a long ways. There's a lot more to the story of me and Rei then you know of. You're just his captain, someone he only has to obey in the stadium. If it wasn't for you two being on the same team, Rei probably wouldn't even look twice at you!!" Lee yelled, managing to somehow swing his arm up and punch Kai in the jaw. Kai barely noticed, however, and slammed his fist into Lee's stomach, then into his face as he doubled over, knocking him to his feet.   
  
Kai instantly pinned him down and started to repeatedly punch the Chinese boy over and over again, his blows growing harder as his frustration and anger built larger.   
  
He was suddenly pulled rather ungracefully off of the now mangled Lee by an unseen force behind him. Twisting around, he glared at Tyson.  
  
"What the hell-Back off Tyson!!! This does not concern you!!" Tyson didn't move, a hard glare on his face.  
  
"Kai. Calm down."  
  
"You calm down!!" Kai snapped, slamming his elbow into Tyson and breaking free, then lunging for Lee again. "Now give me Drigger!!!!" He yelled, gripping Lee by the collar of his shirt. The Chinese boy winced, then smirked.  
  
"Fine." Lee reached a hand into his pocket and pulled out the bit, then, right before Kai's shocked eyes, snapped it in half. Kai stared at Lee for a full 20 seconds, not moving, then his eyes flashed with anger, and, with shaking hands, resumed pounding Lee into the ground, yelling harsh curses at him with every blow.   
  
Tyson winced, watching as Kai slammed Lee's head into the ground over and over, then saw Max and Kenny walking out of the building,  
  
Calling them over, Tyson and Max managed to pull Kai off of Lee, both of them struggling to hold him back.  
  
"Kai, knock it off!! Snap out of it!!"  
  
"Get out of here!!" Kai yelled at Lee, trying to pull out of Max's and Tyson's grip. "I don't ever want to see your face again, or else not even your entire team will be able to hold me back from what I'll do to you!!" Lee got to his feet, holding his broken jaw with one hand, and, not being able to respond, limped away.  
  
Kai jerked away from the two and turned around, glaring daggers at Tyson. "Why the hell did you interrupt?!" Tyson fisted his hands to keep from punching him.  
  
"As much as Lee deserves to be pounded, at the rate you were going at, you were going to kill him." Kai growled.  
  
"That's what I was aiming at."  
  
"Oh, yeah, and I'm sure Rei would have been real impressed with that!!" Tyson snapped at him, having had enough. Kai began to respond to this, then stopped, realizing he was right, as much as he hated to admit it.   
  
Wiping blood off his chin, he ran his hand through his hair, then looked down at the broken Drigger in his other hand.  
  
"Oh, Rei. I'm so sorry." He muttered, heading into the building.  
  
Kai stood outside Rei's room, chewing on his lower room. After a moment, he opened the door and walked in to see Rei laying on his side on the bed, his back to the door. "....Rei?" He heard the boy breath in sharply, then watched as he turned over, looking at Kai in surprise.  
  
"Kai?" Kai smiles weakly.  
  
"Hey." He walked over to the bed and sat down beside Rei. Rei sat up and wrapped his arms around the bluenet, sniffing quietly.  
  
"Kai, Drigger's missing. Lee took him." Kai closed his eyes, leaning his chin against the top of Rei's head. Oh, man. What do I say? He closed his eyes tighter to hold in a tear. "Kai?" Opening his eyes, he looked down at Rei.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Your lip is bleeding." Kai touched his mouth, then sighed.   
  
"I got in a fight with Lee a while ago."  
  
"Lee was here?" Fear flooded through Rei's eyes.  
  
"He was, but I convinced him to leave." Rei sighed in relief, then leaned his cheek against Kai's chest.  
  
"Thank you, Kai." Kai gripped the bitbeast tighter in his hand, trying to decide what to do. Eventually, his conscience got the better of him.  
  
"Rei? I....I have Drigger." Rei instantly pulled away, wincing slightly at the quick movement, and looked up at Kai, shock and joy shining in his eyes.  
  
"You do?!"  
  
"Yes, but......" Kai sighed, and opened his hand, placing the pieces in Rei's.   
  
Rei stared down at the pieces of his bit in his hand, his face hidden from Kai. Then, he looked up at the boy, tears welling in his topaz eyes. However, the weakest hint of a smile was on his face.  
  
"It was Lee, wasn't it?" Kai nodded, wiping one tear away with his thumb.  
  
"I'm sorry, Rei, I couldn't-"  
  
"Thank you so much, Kai." Kai was thrown off by this. "Thank you for getting Drigger away from Lee." Rei placed Drigger on the desk and returned to hugging Kai, a few tears dampening Kai's shirt. Rei looked up at Kai, and froze as he realized how close Kai's mouth now was to his.  
  
Kai held his breath as he too noticed this, and was trying to decide if he was brave enough to close the distance between them. What if...what if he refuses? I'll have ruined any chances of friendship with this amazing person. However, he took one look into those topaz eyes, the ones that snatched away all coherant thought when he saw them, and threw caution and reason to the wind, leaning down to catch that tempting mouth in a gentle kiss. 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: HEY!!!! YOU HAVE TO READ THIS!!!!!!  
  
now that i have your attention, i just wanted you to know that i am fully aware this is not how the russian tournament, or The Beyblade Finals, whatever you want to call it, really goes, but i don't care. I never liked the demolition boys in the first place, and this is my own story, so i'm taking them out and replacing them with the white tigers. it fits my story much better that way. After all, i'm the author, i can do what ever i want in my story, right? right?!!  
  
  
  
  
  
Rei stiffened in shock as he felt Kai's mouth descend onto his own. OhgodohgodohgodIcan'tbelievethisishappeningKai'skissingme!! His thoughts were racing a mile a second through his head.   
  
Kai pulled away, disappointment flooding through him as Rei didn't return the gesture.  
  
"I'm sorry Rei, I shouldn't have-" Kai wasn't able to finish his apology as Rei's hands snapped up to fist in his hair and pulled him back down, fastening his mouth against Kai's. His eyes widened in shock, then he regained his senses and ran his own hands through Rei's hair, the barest hint of a smile ghosting his lips.  
  
He wrapped his arms tightly around Rei and deepened the kiss. The smaller boy's mouth was soft and firm, and the kiss seemed innocent, yet so significant.  
  
The soft contact of the neko boy's pliable lips under his was slowly driving Kai insane. Needing more, he gently traced the outline of Rei's mouth with his tongue. As the other's lips parted, granting him entrance, he was quick to take advantage, a small moan escaping him as his tongue found Rei's. Rei whimpered, clutching more tightly to the other as he kissed back tentatively, unaccustomed to such gentleness, but craving it all the same.  
  
To Kai's annoyance, someone knocked on the door, then gasped in surprise, and the two boys pulled away, looking up to see the team standing at the entrance of the room.  
  
"Nice to see you two made up." Tyson said, crossing his arms and smirking as Kai and Rei both blushed deeply. "I hate to interrupt, as Kai looks like he's going to kill me now, but Mr. Dickenson was talking to the doctor, and convinced her that Rei should be able to come to the Russian tournament once it rolls around, as long as he rests a lot, and he doesn't compete, only watches." Rei stared at Tyson, stunned.  
  
"I....I can go?" Tyson nodded, grinning. Rei looked at the others, who were nodding as well, then flung his arms around Kai, hauling him back down to his level in a vise-like hug. Kai faltered, almost falling off the bed from the force.  
  
"Easy Rei! Don't ruin things before the tournament even starts!" Kai scolded. Rei just laughed.  
  
  
  
~The Day Before The Tournament~  
  
Rei leaned on one crutch, not needing both anymore, and watched their plane roll to a stop.   
  
Feeling a hand placed on his shoulder, he turned to see Kai looking at him. "You sure you're alright?" Rei smirked.  
  
"I'm fine, Kai." A small smile forming on Kai's face, the two of them followed the rest of the group onto the plane, and they sat down in the front row, Kai sitting by the window.  
  
  
A few hours later, Rei laughed as he watched Tyson trying to walk around on his crutch.   
  
Kai opened one eye, looking over at Rei at the sound. He was relieved to see Rei smiling again. After a moment, he closed his eyes and went back to working out strategies in his mind.   
  
He was shaken out of his concentrating some time later by Rei calling his name quietly. Opening his eyes, he was surprised to see everyone else asleep, and he turned to Rei.  
  
"What is it?" He asked, thankful everyone was out of it so he didn't have to act cold.  
  
"Ummm...." Rei blushed, looking down at his hands in his lap. "Well, I...I just wanted to ask....ijustwantedtoaskwhyyoukissedme." Kai blinked in surprise.  
  
"Mind repeating that more slowly?" Rei sighed, then looked up at Kai. "Why....why did you kiss me?"  
  
Kai was thrown off by this.  
  
"I, I guess....I guess I kissed you because, I.....well, I.....I like you. A lot." He winced. Here comes rejection. When no response came, he opened his eyes and looked up at Rei to see he was smiling gently.  
  
"I'm glad to hear that. That makes this a lot easier." Kai was about to ask what he meant when Rei leaned forward and caught Kai in a slow yet strong kiss. Kai responded instantly, gliding his fingers in Rei's hair to lace them together behind his head and pull him closer.  
  
"Hmmm...."Kai sighed, completely content. Rei broke the kiss off, yawning, a blush rising over his face.   
  
"S-sorry." He said, trying to stifle the yawn. Kai merely shook his head, smiling, and pulled Rei closer, allowing the boy to use his shoulder for a pillow. "Kai?" Rei asked after a moment.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Does.....does this mean that.....that we're more then friends now?" Kai thought about it for a moment, then smiled, leaning his head against Rei's.  
  
"Yes, I suppose it does." Rei smiled and curled up against Kai, quickly falling asleep.  
  
  
A few hours later, Kai watched the ground get closer as they landed, then looked down at Rei, who was still asleep. "Rei. Come on, Rei, wake up." Rei groaned and snuggled deeper into Kai's side, shaking his head.  
  
"No. Don' w'nna ge' up." He muttered into Kai's shirt, yawning.  
  
"Come on Rei, you have to; we've landed." Rei sat up at this, looking around through sleepy eyes, then yawned and stretched.   
  
  
The group walked off the plane, yawning and stretching as well, and took in their surroundings. Crisp snow was all over everything, and beautiful buildings were scattered everywhere. Rei watched other teams getting off different planes, and gripped Kai's arm tightly when he saw the White Tigers getting off a plane, Lee among them. Kai noticed, and growled in annoyance. Apparantly, I didn't beat him badly enough; He can still walk.  
  
"Kai?" The bluenette looked down at Rei, who had a worried look on his face. Kai melted under that gaze and pulled Rei closer, leading him and the others away from the White Tigers.   
  
  
Lee growled as Kai led Rei out of his view. Don't think you can protect him forever, Kai. He turned back to his team mates, who were giving him a stern look.  
  
"What? Oh, come on, don't give me that look. Don't worry, I'll leave Rei alone." For now. "Come on, let's go find our room."  
  
  
The Bladebreakers walked into their hotel room, looking around at the fancyness of the suite. Tyson bolted into one of the bedrooms, and divebombed onto the smooth satin blankets of one of the huge canopy beds.  
  
"Wow, Dickenson really went all out this time!" He cried, grabbing hold of a pillow and throwing it at Max. "We all have our own rooms!" Rei walked in, Kai behind him, and shook his head as Max and Tyson started a pillow fight.  
  
"Do you think we should tell Tyson each room also has it's own mini fridge?" He whispered to Kai. Kai shook his head.  
  
"No, he'll find it-"  
  
"HEY!! A FRIDGE!!!"  
  
"-On his own." Rei laughed, shaking his head. Kai just smirked. "Hey, guys. Get practicing; our first battle is in a few hours."  
  
  
Later on, Rei sat on the bench beside Chief, his crutch on the floor beside him, watching Tyson walk out to face Micheal on the All Starz team. This seems familiar  
  
"Come on, Tyson! You've done it once before, you can do it again!!" Max yelled, waving his fist as Tyson set his blade, then launched it. Kai narrowed his eyes, watching Tyson as he got angrier and angrier. He can't let the anger cloud his judgement. He needs to concentrate, or his blade will stop spinning.  
  
"Tyson!! Calm down right now before you blow it!" Kai yelled, shocking everyone.  
  
Tyson looked back at him in surprise. "You can't figure out proper strategies if you're too busy getting pissed off!!" Tyson turned back to the fight, and the second Micheal started powering up his blade, rammed the blade head on, sending it flying out of the dish.   
  
A huge roar ran through the stadium as Tyson ran back to his teammates, high fiving them.  
  
"Oh yeah!! Just one more win, and we got this match in the bag, then it's off to the finals of the finals[1]!!" Rei shook his head, laughing.   
  
"Kai, you're up next." Rei watched Kai get up, not saying a word and ignoring everyone, glaring at his opponent.  
  
To everyone's shock, except Rei's, of course, the battle was over in seconds, with Kai being the victor. They all stared at Kai in shock as he came back, and all he said in response was,   
  
"I had Dranzer upgraded before we left."  
  
  
  
That night, Rei was sitting in his bathroom, changing his bandages, when he heard a knock at the door. Wondering who was visiting him at 10 at night, he walked out and opened the door a crack.  
  
"Who-" His door was flung open, and he stumbled back, only to be pinned down by Lee. Terror filled his eyes as he looked up at the person he feared the most.  
  
"So. you decided to get yourself a bodyguard. Well, where is he now, Rei?"  
  
  
  
[1]- Hey, it's Tyson, what can you do?  
  
A/N: *snickers* yep, i'm gonna leave you here. cruel, aren't i? 


	7. Chapter 7

Rei stared up at Lee, absolute fear in his eyes.  
  
"Why are you doing this Lee? Why won't you leave me alone?" Lee glared down at the black haired youth.   
  
"Let's just say I'm extracting some well deserved revenge." He said, anger flashing in his eyes. Rei regarded his former friend in shock.  
  
"Lee, I'm sorry, but-"  
  
"You lie!! If you really had been sorry, you wouldn't have abandoned the team, and me, like you had! What was wrong Rei? Was I too rough for you? Were you unable to handle it?! Is that why you left me like that!?!" He yelled, losing it and striking Rei across the face.   
  
Rei winced, then looked up at Lee, shaking his head.  
  
"No, Lee, that's not why I left you. I left you because I no longer loved you. How could I have loved someone who beat and raped me like you did?" Rage took over Lee again and he pulled his hand back, slapping Rei again.   
  
"Since when is what we did called rape?!" Rei glared up at him.  
  
"If I recall properly, forcing yourself upon somebody who repeatedly begs you to stop is considered rape!!" Lee's eye twitched and he struck Rei once more, much harder this time.  
  
Rei closed his eyes, then looked up at Lee once again, blood rolling from the corner of his mouth. "You see? I cannot care for someone who-" Lee had heard enough and punched Rei, right on his barely healed ribs, smirking in satisfaction as he heard several sharp cracks and Rei cried out in pain. Wanting to hear more of Rei in distress, he punched him again.  
  
He stopped when his arms tired, and looked down at the trembling boy beneath him. Lee regarded Rei, and realized with anger that no matter how much he tried to hurt this boy, he still held an aura of pride with him. Getting an idea, Lee reached into his pocket and pulled out his pocket knife.   
  
"Hmm... you think Kai cares for you?" He hissed to the terrified teen. "Well, let's see how much he loves you when I make a little adjustment."   
  
Lee opened the knife and studied the side of Rei's face for a moment before pressing the cold blade against the skin just below Rei's right temple. With a cruel smirk, he slowly dragged it down his cheek all the way to his chin, excitement running through him as he saw the blood trail down Rei's face and heard him whimper quietly. When he reached his chin, he placed the blade in the middle of the cut, and ran it across the fresh wound, turning the cut into a cross.  
  
He was about to continue when he heard harsh pounding on Rei's door and turned to glare down at Rei. "We'll finish this later, Rei. I promise." He hissed, crushing his mouth against Rei's, forcing one last pained cry out of the boy, and then left, running out onto the balcony and jumping down.  
  
The pounding had intensified at Rei's cry, and then someone slammed up against the door hard repeatedly, trying to break it down. A few seconds later, the door was blown apart by a spinning blade, and Kai rushed in, running over to Rei.  
  
"Rei! Are you alright?" Rei closed his eyes, gritting his teeth at the pain as he tried to sit up. "Easy, Rei. Don't move." Rei managed to open his eyes, and looked up at Kai.  
  
Kai ran his thumb over Rei's mouth, wiping away the blood.   
  
"Kai...." Kai wrapped his arms around Rei, holding him gently as the boy broke down in tears.  
  
"Calm down, Rei. You'll be fine now. He's gone." Kai whispered, rocking the Chinese boy slightly, causing the harsh sobs to dissolve into quiet groans of pain. His ribs. Kai realized in horror, and pulled away, laying Rei down on the ground and leaning over him, pressing very slightly against his ribs. Counting how many times the boy winced in pain, he was able to find out just how many were broken. He has 3 ribs broken, and one of them are broken in two places.  
  
Almost shaking in rage, Kai got up and walked into the bathroom, grabbing some of the bandages Rei had gotten out. Kneeling beside the distraught boy, he helped him sit up again and began to wrap Rei's ribs tightly to hold them in place.   
  
When he finished with his ribs, Kai grabbed some smaller bandages and placed them against the cut on Rei's cheek, realizing in anger that the cuts would leave a scar. *Figures he'd try to brand him. Lee probably thinks he's marred Rei. Shows just how narrow-minded the jerk really is.*  
  
Noticing how ashamed Rei seemed to be, Kai ran a hand through his midnight hair. "I must say, that scar will certainly give you more character, Rei." Seeing Rei bow his head at the mention of his newest attribute, Kai pulled the boy into his arms, gently holding him. "Rei, I don't care if your cheek is scarred. Just because your appearance has changed, doesn't mean my feelings for you have as well." Kai felt Rei relax in his arms and sigh gently.   
  
He gently picked Rei up and carried him over to the bed. "You get some rest, and I'll take you to the hospital tomorrow." Rei instantly sat up and grabbed hold of Kai's wrists. "Rei!! Be careful!!"  
  
"No, Kai. I'm not going to the hospital. I'm staying with you."  
  
"Fine, then we'll both go to the hospital tomorrow."  
  
"No! You can't miss the match tomorrow!!" Rei released his hold on Kai's wrists and wrapped his arms around the bluenette's waist. "My ribs can wait until after the match tomorrow. I don't need a doctor right now; what I need now, is you." Kai closed his eyes, shaking his head in defeat and holding Rei close to him.  
The next day, the Bladebreakers all walked into the stadium amid hundreds of people cheering, Rei's arm over Kai's shoulder as he helped the raven-haired boy walk. The others had given Kai qestioning looks earlier that day towards Rei's new scar, but Kai had shut them up with one warning glare.   
  
Kai looked around, tightening his hold on Rei at the sight of the White Tigers standing by the dish, Lee among them. "Kai?"  
  
Kai looked over at Rei as he spoke. Seeing the pleading look he had onhis face, Kai rubbed his arm reassuringly, and helped him over to the bench. He kneeled in front of Rei, ignoring Jazzman as he introduced the teams.   
  
"You feeling okay? Your ribs don't hurt too much, do they?" Rei smiled.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine, no, my ribs don't hurt. Relax Kai, and focus on the match." Kai sighed and stood, walking over to where Max and Kenny were standing.   
  
"Don't say what you were about to." He hissed to Kenny, who had opened his mouth to speak.  
  
"Well, someone's a little touchy about his new found relationship." Dizzi taunted, causing a blush to rise over Kai's face. "I guess Mr. Sourpuss has a soft spot after all."  
  
"Where's Tyson?" Kai demanded suddenly. Max and Kenny shrugged.  
  
"He's probably just sleeping in. Anyway, Max, you're going first. Kai can go afterwards, and that should give Tyson enough time to wake up." Max nodded and walked out to the dish, where Gary was waiting. Kai glared at Kenny.   
  
"I'm going last. I want to go up against Lee." Kenny sighed.  
  
"Fine, then. You'll go last." He relented.  
Kai looked over at the White Tiger's, and felt rage build up in him as Lee caught his eye and smirked.  
  
Rei saw this exchange, and his hand drifted up to run over his scar as Lee glared at him. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Rei looked behind him to see Kai standing there, still glaring at Lee, but squeezing his shoulder comfortingly.  
Lee fumed as the "happy couple" all but mocked him as Gary headed for the dish. His hand slipped into his pocket and curled around the 'gift' he had for Kai and Rei, then yelped as he felt a sharp pain in the back of his leg. He turned and glared at Kevin, who was trying very hard to look like he hadn't just kicked their leader in the back of the leg.  
  
"Lee..." Mariah warned, narrowing her eyes.   
  
Rolling his own eyes, Lee turned away from the two of them, watching as Gary and Max got ready.  
  
"And the Beyblading World Championship Finals starts in 3, 2, 1! LET IT RIP!!!" Jazzman cried out, causing Gary and Max to pull hard on their rip cords, sending their blades into the dish.  
Rei watched, tensed slightly, as Max and Gary battled on, then looked around.   
  
"Kai, Tyson isn't here yet." Kai cursed in frustration, looking around as well.   
  
"I'll go see what's taking him so long." Kenny called, leaving. Rei watched him leave, then glanced over to the match again in time to see Gary's blade come flying out of no where and ram into Max's. However, Draciel didn't budge. He stayed in the same spot, pushing back against Gary's blade just as hard.   
  
After a moment, Draciel tilted slightly down, then straightened up again, managing to flip Galzeey right out of the ring. A huge commotion ran through the crowd, and Max all but bounced into the Bench, cheering over and over. He paused when he saw Rei and Kai were the only ones there.  
  
"Where'd Chief go?"   
  
"He went to go find Tyson." Kai answered. "Damn." Rei looked up at this.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Lee's going last, so I was going to have Tyson go next, that way I could have the pleasure of beating Lee myself, but now I'm going to have to go next." Rei shook his head, smiling slightly.  
  
"Get moving, Kai." He said, pushing the boy forward slightly.  
  
Kai strode out to the dish, glaring at Mariah as she met him there.  
  
"Just who do you guys think you are?" Kai snapped as he pulled Dranzer out of his pocket. "You think what your 'leader' is doing will bring Rei back to you?!" Mariah gritted her teeth as she set her own blade, glaring back at Lee.  
  
"But Kai, you don't understand. We're not in on what Lee's been doing. He's been doing this on his own free will, and none of us are alright with it. Rei is our friend, and we would never wish something this awful on him." She defended, turning back to the match.   
  
Kai was surprised at this new announcment, but kept his cold glare in place.   
  
"So why don't you do anything to stop it? Why do you sit back and allow him to do this?!" He yelled, just as Jazzman announced the start of the match, and let his blade fly into the dish, heading straight for Mariah's. He growled in anger as she somehow evaded him, and ordered Dranzer to turn around and attack her.  
Rei watched, confused at Kai's strategy, or more appropriately, lack of. This isn't like him at all. He's just attacking her over and over, and not even considering any other maneuvers except ramming her head on.  
  
"He's too angry." Rei whispered, realizing what was going on.   
Kai tightened his hand over his rip cord, growing frustrated as Mariah kept dodging him. Hearing her scoff, he looked up in shock to see her standing there, her arms crossed and glaring at him.  
  
"You're mind's not even on the match is it?" She accused, narrowing her eyes. Kai was startled, and both of the blades backed away from each other. "You're too busy stressing out over Rei to focus properly on your blade. Shame on you."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Rei can take care of himself." She sighed. "Of course he's going to need help getting through this, but you don't need to shield him from the world. Rei's already been through a lot, and he's still alive isn't he?"  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Back in our village, Rei and Lee were once a couple. But then, they started fighting, and Lee started abusing Rei. That's why Rei really left. Rei has been beated, raped, and shunned, and he's still here with us. YOU need to have more faith in him! He's not made of glass, Kai!! Stop fretting over him like a distraught mother!!" This said, her blade rushed forward, slamming directly into Kai's, and sent Dranzer carrening out of the dish.   
  
Kai didn't even flinch, staring at Mariah in shock. I'm shielding him from the world? He thought back quickly over the past weeks, and all but winced. She was right; he had been shielding him. Kai had been treating Rei like a two year old, barely let Rei sit up without him at his side, and would practically attack anyone who even slightly posed a threat. Rei had put up with it all, never complaining once, and Kai shook his head.   
  
Grabbing Dranzer, he looked up at Mariah with graditude in his eyes, and she broke out into a wide grin, skipping back to her group. Kai turned and headed back to his team, but not before he caught Lee's eye, and the two of them glared at each other for a few seconds.  
  
Heading back, he sighed as he saw Kenny standing there with the others, Tyson not around.  
  
"Where's Tyson?" Kenny winced at the tone.  
  
"He's in the infirmary. He's got food poisoning. They're pumping his stomach now." Kai stared at Kenny, not hearing anything else he said. It was Rei speaking up that had him coming out of his daze.  
  
"What did you say?" Rei looked up at him.  
  
"I said, I'll take his place."  
  
"What?! No way!! You are not going out there, Rei!" Kai snapped. Rei stood up, shaking his head.  
  
"We have no choice. Kai. Kenny's blade won't be able to stand up to Lee's, and there's no one else to go. We'll have to forfeit the match."  
  
"But Rei-"  
  
"Max, we've come too far now. I'm not going to let us lose by default." The raven-haired boy looked back at Kai. "Please, Kai. Let me do this." Kai ran a hand through his hair, sighing. Mariah's words rang through his mind.  
  
"Alright." He muttered. Rei grinned, then headed out to the dish, where Lee was already waiting.  
  
"Well, well, well." Lee taunted, smirking. "Rei. I'm glad to see your over protective boyfriend has actually let you come out and play." Rei glared at him.  
  
"I'd rather have an overprotective boyfriend then an abusive one." Lee growled at this, and the two of them set their blades.  
  
"Get ready, Rei, because I'm going to make sure you regret ever leaving the White Tigers!!" 


	8. Chapter 8 final chapter

Rei glared at Lee, who was smirking evily at him as they set their blades and Jazzman started the countdown.  
  
"You sure you're ready for this Rei? Maybe you should go crawling back to your new boyfriend!" Rei closed his eyes, then smirked, much to Lee's surprise.  
  
"Lee, you never did know when to shut up, did you?" Rei opened his eyes, the topaz irises flashing with anger. "Well then, I'm going to have to shut you up myself!!"   
  
Both of them launched at the same time, and the two blades headed straight for each other, both sending debris flying up as they bit into the ground. They rammed headfirst, sending rubble everywhere; Lee shielded himself from the rocks careening at him, but Rei only closed his eyes, not moving from his spot. Lee growled in anger as he lowered his arm. That arrogant jerk. I'll teach him for making a fool out of me. He's alway's strived to be better then I am.  
  
~Flashback~  
  
Lee watched in shock as his very own grandfather handed Drigger over to Rei. *I have been training for my entire life to be worthy of Drigger!!* Dispite his growing anger, Lee forced a grin to his face and watched Rei take the bitbeast. However, he overheard some adults talking off to the side.   
  
"I am relieved to see that Rei has recieved the legendary Drigger, and not Lee. Lee may be formidable at blading, but Rei far surpasses him."  
  
"I agree; The Elder has made a wise choice." Lee ground his teeth together, fisting his hands and storming out.  
  
~Present~  
  
Rei smirked. "What's the matter, Lee? Can you no longer handle the intensity of my blade's attacks?" Lee's eye twitched rapidly, then smirked, and ordered his blade to change direction. The beyblade spun around, then shot around Rei's repeatedly, moving faster and faster.  
  
After a moment, Lee's blade shot off in another direction, carving out a chunk of the stadium the size of a fist, and sent it flying towards Rei, nailing him directly in the ribs. The Chinese boy fell to his knees, gripping his waist tightly.  
  
Kai jumped to his feet as Rei fell to his knees, Max and Kenny barely managing to hold him back.   
  
"How DARE he!!!" Kai growled, fisting his hands to keep from punching Kenny and Max. "That selfish little bastard!!"  
  
"Kai! Calm down!!" Max pleaded, pushing back on Kai's chest.   
  
Rei winced, feeling a sharp throb in his chest with every breath. He looked up, glaring at Lee. Lee only smirked and ordered his blade to attack Rei's. Supporting himself on one hand, he winced then took a breath.   
  
"Tiger Claw Attack!!" He managed to yell, struggling to one knee.   
  
Kenny, Max and Kai watched breathlessly.  
  
"But.....he doesn't have Drigger.....why is he trtying to use that attack?"  
  
Lee crossed his arms, smirking as Rei's blade started to streak towards his own blade, but slowed down drastically as Rei started to lose focus, the pain overwhelming him.   
  
Kai pulled forward a few steps, regardless of the fact that Kenny and Max had a hold of his arms, trying to pull him back to the bench.  
  
"Let, GO!!! Rei needs help!!" He snapped, trying to jerk his arm free.  
  
"Kai......Rei will be.....FINE!!" Kenny gasped, struggling to hold the angered teen back.   
  
"I swear, Chief, if you don't let me go right now-"  
  
"Kai, stay.....back." Kai froze at this request, and looked over at Rei. He had risen to a slouching/standing position, still glaring at Lee, who was smirking proudly.  
  
"What's the matter, Rei? Your ribs starting to be a little too much for you? Maybe you should let your big, bad boyfriend blade for you. From what I hear, he was doing everything else for you."  
  
"You shut your mouth Lee!! It figures you wouldn't be able to recognize concern and compassion; The only thing I ever got from you for emotions was hatred!!" Rei managed to straighten up all the way, releasing his side and pointing at Lee. "You listen to me, Lee! I never needed you! And since the very first time your hand hit my cheek, I have felt nothing but anger towards you! You may have thought I was scared of you Lee, but I would never be scared of a coward like you!!" Lee growled, fisting his hand around the item in his pocket again. Why you little...  
  
~Flashback~  
  
Rei stared up at Lee from where he had fallen, his cheek quickly turning red.  
  
"You....you just hit me." Rei whispered, his eyes wide in shock. Lee folded his arms.   
  
"Maybe that will teach you not to talk back to me." He hissed, growling when he saw anger swirling in Rei's eyes along with fear.  
  
"That just gives me more of a reason to stand up to you, Lee."  
  
~Present~  
  
Rei continued to glare at him. "When I win this battle, Lee, you are to go home to China, and I NEVER want to see you again. Or the next time we meet, you will NOT be walking away from it on your own!! TIGER CLAW ATTACK!!!"  
  
The blade must have sensed Rei's anger, because it ripped towards Lee's blade, tearing the dish to pieces as it shot towards the lion blade. Everybody watched in shock, except for Rei, who just held a steady glare at Lee, as the former Tiger Blade slammed directly into the Lion Blade, all but shattering the poor beyblade into a thousand pieces, the bit beast being the only piece still intact.  
  
The rest of the Bladebreakers were stunned.  
  
"He.....he used Tiger Claw Attack......without the bit. But......how......." Max tried to ask. Kai smirked.  
  
"It's because of his bond with Drigger. Rei had such a strong devotion to his beast that Drigger is still connected with Rei. Rei was able to call on the legendary beast and use it's attack, without needing the bit."  
  
Lee watched, stunned, as his blade scattered at his feet. He looked down at the pieces, then up at Rei, who was still glaring.   
  
"How...."  
  
"I've won. I don't want to see you again, Lee."  
  
Kai shoved Max and Kenny off of him, running up to Rei.  
  
"Rei! Are you alright?" Rei nodded, turning to grin at Kai.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks." Rei smiled, then closed his eyes with a sigh and leaned against Kai, exhausted. Kai smiled, wrapping his arms around Rei.  
  
Lee growled, not willing to be so easily forgotten.   
  
"REI!!" The black haired boy pulled away, looking at Lee in confusion and caution. "I refuse to let you get away from me so easily!!" Lee then pulled out his 'gift', aiming the .45 Colt directly at Rei, shocking everyone in the stadium.   
  
"Lee! What the hell are you doing?!" Kai demanded, feeling fear lancing through him.  
  
"I'm proving to everybody that if I can't have Rei, then no one can!!"   
  
Rei watched all of this in shock. He didn't register the sound of the panicked crowd, or Jazzman shouting for someone to call the police. All he heard was the explosion of the gun as Lee pulled the trigger.  
  
Then, to his horror, he felt someone run into him, shielding him, and could only watch as Kai dove in front of him and the bullet tore through Kai's chest on the right side, drops of his blood hitting Rei's clothing. He didn't care though as he caught Kai against him, instantly pressing his hand against the wound to slow the bleeding.  
  
"Kai!! Kai, please, open your eyes!! Look at me Kai!!" The slate haired boy weakly lifted his head, coughing slightly as some security grabbed hold of Lee. "Oh, god, Kai, hold on, we're going to get you some help! Chief!!" Rei turned around to face Kenny. "Get ahold of an ambulance!! NOW!!!!" He added as Kenny didn't move at first. Looking back at Kai, he frowned. "Don't you DARE go to sleep, Kai!! You stay awake! KAI!!" Cursing, Rei ripped a long strip off his shirt, wrapping it around Kai's wound, then picking Kai up, carrying him on his back. "Let's get him out of here." He ordered, ignoring his throbbing ribs as he carried him outside.   
  
Rei helped the paramedics load Kai into the ambulance, glaring at Lee as they led the traitorous boy to a patrol car. Shaking his head, Rei climbed into the vehicle, wincing as his ribs started demanding attention.  
  
A few hours later, Rei sat beside a very pale Kai, clinging to the grey and blue haired boy's hand. "Come on, Kai, hang on. The doctor's said if you made it through the night, you'd be fine." Rei's eyes landed on the thick bandage on Kai's left side. "You took that bullet for me; You CANNOT leave me after that." Rei's own waist was wrapped in bandages as well, but only a thin layer, no where near as severe as Kai's.   
  
Rei closed his eyes, ignoring the tear that slid down his cheek at this action, leaning his head against the bed and falling asleep to the sound of Kai's shallow breathing.   
  
Rei groggily woke up the next morning, hissing as he sat up and his ribs throbbed. Rubbing his waist, he looked up at Kai, and his heart leapt in his throat as he saw he was awake. "Kai! You're alright!" Kai looked over at him, breathing deeply and closing his eyes for a moment.  
  
"Hey." He said quietly, smiling slightly, then gently took hold of Rei's hand, opening it, placing something in it, and closing his hand again. Rei looked down at his hand in confusion, then opened it, and gasped.  
  
"Kai....."  
  
"I...was up all night before the tournement, fixing him." Kai explained, a weak but proud smile on his face as Rei continued to hold Drigger in his hand, studying the bitbeast in stunned amazment. There were no hints at all of the bit being broken.  
  
"Oh, Kai....." Kai swallowed deeply, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth. "Kai? You alright?" Kai nodded weakly, still breathing heavily.   
  
"I'm....fine. Just......the medicine.....wearing off." He managed to explain. Rei nodded, then jumped as someone knocked on the door.  
  
"Rei? Can we come in?" Max's voice said from the other side of the door. Rei smiled.  
  
"Yes, guys, come on in." Rei turned and watched as the rest of the team filed in quietly. Even Tyson was silent.  
  
"Hey, Kai, how you feeling?" Kai opened one eye, looking over at Max.  
  
"Like shit." Everyone laughed quietly, even Kai smiled as well as possible.   
  
"Well, that's expected. Look what you went through." Rei reminded. Kai turned back to Rei, gripping his hand gently.  
  
"I wouldn't hesitate to do it again, not when you're on the line." Rei sighed, placing Kai's hand against his cheek. The others looked at each other, grinned, and silently left the room, leaving the two alone. They didn't mind giving them some time to themselves; They had definately earned it.  
  
~Follow-up - 4 years later~  
  
Max and Tyson admitted that they had feelings for each other a few weeks after the tournament, and are currently taking a vacation in Hawaii together.....on their honeymoon.  
  
Kenny went on to create a better launcher and stadium, and is now a multi-millionaire, and the CEO of a huge blading corporation.  
  
Lee was charged with attempted murder, and sentanced to 10 years in jail. We have yet to hear how he is doing.  
  
The rest of the White Tigers went home to explain what happened between Rei and Lee, and are now helping to improve the village into a more modern town, which pleased Rei to no end.  
  
Kai and Rei moved in together after Kai was completely healed in a house Rei bought, and have been together for 4 years now. They are planning to get married in the summer, and Rei's still working on convincing Kai to adopt a child. Good luck, Rei.  
  
THE END  
  
A/N: So, what did you think? TELL ME, TELL ME, TELL ME!!! Kai fans, be very thankful. For a while, I was considering making theis a very sad story, and having Kai die right after he gives Drigger back to Rei. But I couldn't do that to Kai OR Rei!!! SO TELL ME IN A REVIEW WHAT YOU THINK!!!!!! 


End file.
